Problema kasi eh super, super clear na hindi talaga effective si Chot Reyes sa player development (even though he always says "learning experience") and yung mga supporters nya use these single wins to justify him staying as coach, pero they pretend the strings of losses as "learning experiences" and say Gilas should weather the storm (2 straight, 3 straight, 4 straight losses, etc). Then we win once, and everyone says "Kita nyo? OK naman si Chot, ah."
Chot went into a tourney saying the goal was 4th place, para lang matuto yung mga players. We have players like Japeth (35yo), Fajardo (32yo) and Thompson (29yo). Ano pa matututunan nila at veterans na sila? Baka last cycle na nila ito, tapos "teaching moments" pa rin? Goal should have been "as many games as possible. Let's try to win this." Defeatist mentality agad eh. Parang sinabi nya "Wala kayo pag-asa dun sa ibang teams, so let's go for 4th place na lang." Talagang hindi ka mananalo pag ganun.
I think Gilas should be above "developing chemistry" na. Pang mga 80th world ranking and below yung ganung mentality. Gilas is in the 40-30th ranking tier na. Above CHEMISTRY, it should now be time for Gilas to develop an IDENTITY.
And Identity is found through a system. Pag sinabi mo "Detroit Basketball" alam mong gritty defense, blue collar hard work. Yun ang identity nila.
Sa Gilas, ano identity natin? Isolation? Gawing power forward ang mga import na shooting guard?
We had a developing identity with the former coach (Tab Baldwin). Maganda yung spread and motion offense natin, ganda ng passing game, at nakakagulat yung tenacity sa defense. And the players BELIEVED we could win. And we did win against Korea!
Kung si Chot yung coach nung time na yun, baka sabihin nya "our goal is to learn as much from Korea as we can, so we will be able to beat them someday. Sometimes to win, you have to lose." Nyeta.
Kahit nanalo tayo kahapon, meron makikitang issues:
- Our offense was flowing, but mainly because of Jordan Clarkson. Sya yung nagiging focus ng defense, allowing him to pass off to teammates for more open shots. NBA caliber talaga. (Kahit minsan nabibitawan ni Kai Sotto yung bola). Paano pag wala si Clarkson? Balik Chot-Reyes basketball? Puso lang at walang utak?
- We still get bullied down low, pero significant na ang improvement from previous international cycles.
- Kahit malalim yung team, pag hindi tama ang coaching, mauulit pa rin yung mga problema sa SEA Games. (For example, overplaying starters so they are exhausted by the 4th). We cannot play Clarkson 35 minutes a night.
- Players who play matador defense. Against stronger opponents, hindi matatago yung deficiencies ng mga players tulad ni Kiefer.
- Just like many of Chot Reyes' victories, naka early lead tayo at dahan dahan lumaki yung gap. Paano pag down tayo at halftime, mababawi kaya ng Gilas, or babalik si Chot sa "learning moments Chot Reyes" style na puro puso ang isisigaw nya?
On the plus side, gumagaling na nga ang Gilas. Pero lumiliit na ang window. Yung "core" ng team eh wala na ulit by 2026. Can Chot the "teacher" be able to provide enough "learning moments" to develop the next set of players, or aasa ulit tayo sa mga Tab Baldwin ng mundo para humanap ng sunod na Dwight Ramos para kunin ulit ni Chot ang credit?